Divergent as experienced by Four: The First Abnegation Born Dauntless
by Madabelle
Summary: Allright, this is my first fanfiction! I'm a bit nervous, but trust that other nerds out there won't hate my work too much! ;) This is just a brief example of what I think Tobias/Four would have been experiencing. If it is well recieved I'll keep adding, if not...well I will probably add anyway!
1. Chapter 1

I stand at my post by the net. Today is the day, the day initiation begins.

"Hey Four!" I turn behind me to glance at Lauren, the other Dauntless assigned to meet the initiates. "Last chance to place bets on first jumper! Zeke is positive his brother will be, I've placed my bets on Shauna's sister Lynn."

"You know," I start, quietly, "a transfer could always be the first."

Lauren laughs, "Right, some truth loving candor or knowledge crazed Erudite is totally going to beat one of our own."

"Whatever," I stare into her eyes, "I bet you'll all be wrong."

"Suit yourself." She says, in a tone that suggests I'm crazy.

Silence falls upon the net-room as everybody lets anticipation creep into their minds.

I am not certain how long I sand here waiting. Every year is different, and there is no way to predict an exact time for this. Even after the new initiates choose dauntless and board the train, if they do, they still have half an hour's ride, followed by a jump and a speech. Even with my knowledge of the train schedule I can't accurately predict when the first jumper will take the plunge. Because that's the problem after the speech ends, someone still has to get the courage.

I am sucked into a memory of when I choose Dauntless. It took five minutes for even the first jumper to decide. I cans still hear his screams. I tense, as I unwillingly remember my own jump.

A sudden flash of movement saves me from my reverie; the first jumper. Everyone is shocked into motion. Everyone stumbles around; we were all expecting a scream of warning at least.

The body of the first jumper hits the net with a gasp. She, for the jumper is a girl, laughs nervously. A shy, uncertain sound, as if laughing is foreign to her. I study her quickly, trying to get a glimpse into her life. Her hands cover her face as she brushes back some flyaway locks of hair. The wind must have torn them from her long blonde braid. She looks up and automatically we all reach for her. She grabs a hold of my hand, and I guide her to the edge of the net.

She rolls off but her angle is off. I catch her before she hits face first, and steady her on her feet. She looks into my eyes, and we study each other. The thought is gone as soon as it arrives as I stare into her round blue eyes. She has a thin nose. She is small. Her chin barely even reaches my shoulder. But all that is not what startles me. She is wearing a gray t-shirt and grey slacks. This girl is from Abnegation. _I'm no longer alone. _The thought is broken before it can form by a voice behind me.

"I can't believe it," Lauren begins, "a Stiff, the firs to jump? Unheard of."

Anger floods my mind. Nobody ever understands abnegation. "There's a reason why she left them, Lauren." I look at the girl as she study's Lauren. I'm not surprised she's studying her the way she is, Dauntless looks can be intimidating.

"What's your name?" I ask her softly. Both because everyone needs to know, and because I'm dying to know myself.

"Um…" She hesitates in that same quiet way she laughed. I understand her hesitation.

"Think about it," I say, smiling, _me, smiling, _"You don't get to pick again."

"Tris," She says firmly, in complete contrast to her previous timidity. She is strong, I am suddenly sure of this fact.

"Tris," Lauren says with a smile. "Make the announcement four." I almost forget that is my name, standing by this abnegation girl I am suddenly craving my old name and identity.

"First jumper- Tris!"

The crowd of Dauntless members behind me cheers.

All noise is cut off by a blood curdling scream as a girl with dark skin falls to the net. Tris laughs as she looks at the net, but nervousness lurks around her eyes.

I touch her back reassuringly, before I can even think about the action, and look into her eyes. "Welcome to Dauntless." The words slip from my lips and as they do I realize I mean them. I want to welcome this skinny, plain, girl who already seems to have captured me with her mysterious, and yet known, past.

document here...


	2. Chapter 2

It takes a while, but eventually I am surrounded by twenty initiates. The last to jump informs the group that he is, indeed, the final jumper.

Lauren immediately starts moving after that, leading the group down a narrow tunnel. I follow, and a glance behind me shows nine transfers staring around in awe.

The tunnel is lit in intervals and, with the sloping ceiling, I feel as if the world is shrinking. Annoyed by my wandering mind I shake of my claustrophobic sense, but move an imperceptible degree faster. When I reach the end, a little too fast, I turn and fold my arms.

"This is where we divide," Lauren begins, her posture copying mind. "Dauntless born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place." She beckons them forward and I count each as they pass behind me. Eleven. Eleven Dauntless born. I turn back to the nine transfers I observed earlier. Judging by their clothes there are three from Erudite, five from candor, and one from-my eyes scan the crowd until they rest on Tris, hidden in the shadows, almost completely blocked by Erudite- Abnegation.

"Most of the time," I begin, once my calculations are complete, "I work in the the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor. My name is four."

"Four?" The dark skinned girl, the second jumper, asks. "Like the number?"

"Yes," I tense, "Is there a problem?"

"No."

"Good." And it is, I am glad to get that out of the way. Hopefully this immediate inquiry will keep people from bugging me too much. "We're about to go into the pit. Which, you will someday learn to love. It-"

The girl snickers. "The Pit? Clever name" I guess it was too optimistic to assume people wouldn't bug me. I walk up and lean my face close to hear, narrowing my eyes. I want to make clear my expectations, so I hold my position for a second.

"What's your name?" I ask quietly.  
"Christina," She squeaks.

"Well, Christina, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart mouths, I would have joined _their _faction." I keep my words sharp, pushing the meaning too all the transfers, not just her. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?"

She nods, and I turn towards the tunnel. The crowd follows me silently, except for Christina, who mumbles something to Tris who gives a tiny response. I sigh, annoyed that she didn't get the picture. As I push open the door, leading the transfers into the Pit, I hear Christina speak again, this time clearer.

"Oh. I get it." I roll my eyes. If people would just be patient they wouldn't have to sound so stupid. 'Pit' really is the best word. I lead the transfers through an underground cavern of monstrous size. We currently stand at the bottom. I ignore the curious expressions on the transfer's faces. That is, until I hear a quiet gasp. I turn and follow Tris's eyes to a group of children running down a narrow un-railed path. Her panic makes perfect sense to me. Abnegation trained responses are hard to shake. I shake my head slightly, and get the groups attention.

"If you follow me, I'll show you to the Chas." I wave them silently toward the right half of the pit floor. I stop at an iron bar near the end. He sound of roaring, fast moving water overwhelms the sense. I watch as Tris, and several other initiates, walk to the railing and peer over. My own eyes trail down the river following its calm progression to a roaring and violent collision against rock. "The Chasm," I call their attention back, "reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy! A dare devil jump off this ledge _will _end your life. It has happened before and it will happen again. You've been warned."

Without giving anyone a chance to respond I turn for the hole in the wall that leads to the dining room. The Dauntless inside applaud as the transfer initiates enter. I try to stay inconspicuous as I move towards a table at the side of the room. Tris and Christina follow me. I end up with Tris on my left, and Christina on hers. I start preparing a Hamburger and silently laugh as I look up and see the confusion written all over Tris's posture.

"It's beef," I say, elbowing her gently. "Put this on it." I hand her to bowl of Ketchup I was about to set down.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" Christina demands, incredulously.

"No," Tris whispers. "Is that what it's called?" I decide to try and tackle two birds with one stone.

"Stiffs eat plain food," I explain to Christina in an attempt to distance myself from Abnegation with the slang term.

"Why?"

Tris shrugs. "Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary."

Christina smirks, "No wonder you left."

I see Tris roll her eyes, "Yeah. It was just because of the food."The way she says it makes me smile. She sounds serious. An Abnegation with a sense of humor, let alone a sarcastic one, is rare. I am considering commenting when the cafeteria doors open, distracting me. I tense up as Eric walks in. I am surprised to note that Tris stiffens too. Her eyes widen as Eric scans the room.

"Who's that?" Christina hisses. I guess Eric insights tension in more than Stiffs.

"His name is Eric," I say. "He's a Dauntless leader."

"Seriously? But he's so young."

"Age doesn't matter here," I say, my voice grave. Age doesn't. But Rank does. I still feel satisfaction as I think of how Eric is only a leader because I refused.

Eric walks over to my table and sits. He doesn't speak for a moment and I don't encourage him to start.

"Well," he nods at the girls by my side, "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"This is Tris and Christina."

"Ooh, a stiff." I hate the way the word sounds coming from his disgusting lips. "We'll see how long you last." Then he turns his greasy face to mine, tapping his finger. "What have you been up to lately, Four?"

"Nothing, really," I try to discourage more conversation with my tone. Trist and Christina are already scrutinizing our every move.

"Max tells me," Eric continues anyway, "he keeps trying to meet with you and you don't show up." His multiple piercings twitch as he speaks. "He requested that I find out what's going on with you."

I look him straight in the eye. "Tell him that I am satisfied with the position I currently hold."

"So he wants to give you a job." Even though I don't want the job I love hearing the anger in Eric's tone.

"So it would seem."

"And you aren't interested." I almost wish I was, just so I could thwart Eric's arrogance.

"I haven't been for two years."

"Well," Eric says, "let's hope he gets the point then." And with a slap on my shoulder, a painful one that carries a threat, he gets up and leaves.

"Are you two . . . friends?" The question comes from a relieved looking Tris. I guess I'm not the only who feels a tangible relief with Eric's exit.

"We were in the same initiate class," I say, apprehensively. "He transferred from Erudite."

"Were you a transfer too?"

Of course, I think with an internal groan, the last person you want to pry into your life is the person who asks all the prying questions.

"I thought I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many questions. " I force a cold air into my tone and once more push slang into my vocabulary. "Now I've got Stiffs too?"

I see her bristle but I am not expecting her response. "It must be because you're so approachable, you know, like a bed of nails."

I look into her eyes, expecting the Stiff timidity of Abnegation to take hold. But she doesn't look away. She is challenging me. Her cheeks flush, but she doesn't look away, and I don't break contact. I don't back down. I take a small moment to study her, but keep my walls up.

"Careful, Tris," I finally warn quietly. I want to say more, but suddenly Zeke calls me from another table.


End file.
